Kukla's Korner Hockey

With the NHL trade deadline less than a month away and the race for playoff berths in both conferences heating up, several teams could soon find themselves in the market for roster depth to improve their postseason chances.

Here’s a look at several of the Eastern Conference clubs struggling to nail down playoff positions. We’ll examine the Western teams next week.

Montreal Canadiens: They’ve blown hot and cold throughout this season and have only two victories in their last seven games since mid-January. GM Bob Gainey signaled a month ago he was interested in adding an experienced puck-moving defenseman. With top-scoring center Robert Lang out for the season he might also need a first- or second-line center. Ignore those silly rumors of Gainey selling the farm for Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier. That’s not going to happen.